Blasting-gun.



E. HUTTON.

BLASTING GUN.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28. I917.

1,252,118. Patented Jan. 1,1918.

blasting devices that are arranged both to citizen of the United States, residin ERNEST BUTTON, OF WAYLAND, KENTUCKY.

BLASTING-GUN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

Application filed March 28, 1917. Serial No. 158,074.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST HU'rroN, a at Wayland, inthe county of Floyd and tate of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blasting-Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of choke the bored hole in the inner end of which a blasting-charge is placed and thereby to cause the full force of the explosion to operate in breaking the material in which the hole is formed and to fire the charge.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide, for holding the device in the bore, improved expansible means that by manual operation is tightened against the wall of the bore before explosion of the charge and that is caused further to press against the wall by the force of the explosion, whereby the bore is choked and the device is restrained from being blown backwardly when-the charge is fired and it is caused to fall with the broken-off material;

The device to which this invention is directed includes an integrally-formed rod that extends coextensively of the length of the gun from the outer to the inner end, the latter end carrying a removable firing-terminal arranged to hold an explosive cartridge.

When read in connection with the description herein, the details of construction and arrangement of parts contemplated by the invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof,

wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed, for u'rposes of illustration.

While the disclosures herein now are considered to exemplify a preferable embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that it is not the intention to be limited necessarily thereto in interpretation of the claims, as modifications within the limits of the claims can be made without departing from the nature and spirit of the invention.

Like reference-characters refer to corresponding parts in the views of the drawing, of wh1ch Figure 1 is a plan view; Fig. 2 and Fig. 2 are tional views;

Fig. 3 isa transverse sectional view on the line 3--3 Fig. 2; and p Fig. 41 a transverse sectional view on the lln'e k-, Fig. 2.

longitudinal sec- The gun includes an integrally-formed rod 5, coextensive of the length of the gun, and it has at its outer end a head 6 provided with a handle 7. The rod is formed with a centrally-disposed bore or passage 8 extending from a place djacent to the head to the other or inner end. The outer end portion of the rod is exteriorly screw threaded, as shown at 95 from the threaded portion it extends in uniform diameter for a considerable portion of its length as an intermediate shank portion 10 constituting a slide guideway; and from the shank portion it extends a an enlarging tapered portion 11 that gradually increases in diameter to the inner end.

An elongated tubular sleeve or slidable member 12 is slidable freely and longitudinally and is rotatable on the intermediate shank portion 10 of the rod and to some extent over the threaded portion 9 thereof. The sleeve is formed integrally with a tubular portion that extends over the tapered part 11 of the rod and interiorly conforms approximately to the shape of that part. In order that this tubular portion, when it is moved in one direction longitudinally 0n the rod, may be permitted to expand and to be pressed against the wall of the bored hole, it is slotted longitudinally, whereby fingers 13 are formed integrally with, and extend forwardly from, the sleeve. The free end portions of the fingers are exteriorly roughened or. corrugated, preferably with screwthreads extending in the same relative direction as those of the rod portion 9, as

shown at 14, in order that they may grip the wall of the bored hole. The fingers are reduced in thickness at a place adjacent to the sleeve, whereby thereis provided an annular groove for asbestos or other suitable expansible packin 15.

In order t at the fingers of the sleeve may be turned into a hole, the outer end of the sleeve is enlarged and formed as a clutch member 16, having teeth 17. As the complementary clutch member, a collar 18 has on its end teeth 19 arranged to engage between the teeth 17. This collar is the hub of a turning-wheel 20, and it is carried by and is axially movable on a threaded bushing 21 mounted on the threaded portion 9 of the rod. Rotary movement is'imparted to the bushing by the collar, and relative axial movement of these parts is limited, through the instrumentality of one or more dowelins 22 of the bushing extending into a. corresponding number of slots 23 disposed lon gitudinally in the collar. I

The inner end, of the rod is formed with a screw-threaded recess 24, which latter receives the threaded portion of a pointed terminal 25, having a transverse opening 26 through its free end, the terminal being adapted to extend into the casin of, and thereby to hold, an explosive cartmd e A.

Of an electric circuit including a attery or other suitable source of electricity and a switch (not shown), one wire 27 is grounded the cartridge and gun are-placed in a bored blast-hole and the cartridge pushed by the gun to the bottom or inner portion of the hole. At this time, the rod is extended with respect to the expansible fingers of the sleeve and those fingersare over a smaller part of the tapered portion of the rod. The fingers then are expanded and thereby caused to press against and tightly to grip the wall of the hole by movement toward the inner end of the rod and to position over a larger part of the inclined portion. Expansion of the fingers against the wall of the hole is caused by pushing the sleeve 12 inwardly while the rod remains stationary, and this may be done by hand. The movement further may be effected by turning and the consequent action of the screw-threads of the fingers in the material of the wall. Expansion of the fingers causes the packing 15 also to expand against the wall of, and more effectively to choke, the hole.

In order thus to turn the fingers, the wheel 20, collar 18, and bushing 21 by turning are caused to travel on the threaded portion 9 of the rod until the clutch members come into engagement, and the turning movement f of the wheel beingcontinued rotary movement will be imparted to. the sleeve and the fingers thereof. The clutch members during the turning operation are permitted to remain in engagement because the bushing continuing to turn on the threaded part 9 of the rod permits the collar clutch member 18 to follow the sleeve clutch member '16. During the movement of the sleeve, the rod may be prevented from rotary movement by a hold on the handle 7. As the screwthreads of the fingers during turning movement, by their action against the wall of the hole, cause them to advance along the tapered portlon of the rod, the fingers, of

course, are expanded further against the.

wall. The advancing action of thefingers on the tapered portion of the rod also may charge.

travel of the bushing, the clutch will become 1 disengaged occasionally, but with the rotary movement of the bushing continuing engagement of the clutch again will be had.

When the fingers have a suflicient hold on the wall of the hole to prevent the gun from being blown from the hole when the explosive charge is fired, the collar clutch member 18 is moved axially from engagement with the sleeve clutch inem'ber 16, this movement being permitted by the pin and slot connection of the collar and bushing, and then by turning movement ina reverse direction the wheel and its associated parts are brought to position near the head of the rod. If, durlng the turning movement, the rate of travel of the bushing on the threaded portion of the rod 5 has been faster than the rate of advancement of the sleeve due to the action of the screw-threads of the fingers against the wall of the hole,' then the pins 22 have moved from the ends of the slots 23 in which they are shown in Fig. 2 to the opposite ends, owing to the tendency of the bushing to push toward the end of the sleeve. Of course, with the pins in the latter position, it is impossible to disengage the clutch. As far as the relative movement of the rod andsleeve and fingers hereinafter explained is concerned, it is not necessary to withdraw the turni member prior to exploding the owever, if withdrawal is desired, the pins may be moved to the opposite ends of the slots by giving the rod a twist by operation of the handle 7 in the direction to cause the bushing to withdraw. Then the clutch member 18 may bevmoved axially on the .sleeve and'withdrawn from the clutch "member 16.

Thereafter, the switch of the electric c'ircuit is closed and a spark thereby caused to jump across the space between the end of the wire 28 in the opening of the pointed terminal 25 and the material of that terminal, which latter is connected with the other wire of the circuit -by that wire being grounded in the rod '5. This explodes the charge. The backward or outward push on the rod resulting from 'the explosion causes the rod to recoil in the sleeve and the fingers thereof and further t6 expand the fingers as a larger part of the tapered portion moves into them,

2 thereby eifectlng a tighter grip of the fingers on, the wall of the bore and preventing the gun from being driven backwardly out of the material being blasted.

The arrangement thus permits a recoil of the rod and gradually stops that movement, and the strain on the gun as a result of the explosion is less, therefore, than if the rod were held rigidly in the hole. Moreover, as the backward movement of the rod gradually is stopped, the tendency to break the hold of the fingers on the wall of the hole is lessened and the gun is less liable to be blown from the hole than if it were held rigidly therein.

Thus the gun remains in the hole if the charge does not shoot down the material be low the hole entirely out to the face of thematerial, and it falls down with the material if all of it is shot down.

In case the gun remains in the hole after the charge is fired, the rod may be moved inwardly of the hole and the tapered portion of the rod outwardly with respect to the fingers by pushing or driving action, whereby the grip of the fingers on the wall of the hole is released, and then the gun is pulled out of,the hole; or the grip of the fingers may be released by bringin the clutch members together and then turning in a direction the reverse of that for tightening.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A blasting-gun comprising a rod that tapers gradually to less diameter from its inner end to a place intermediate its ends and having an intermediate shank portion, a sleeve freely slidable longitudinally on a said shank, an expansible tubular portion extending from said sleeve and arranged to be pressed against the wall of a hole on movement in contact with said tapered portion, and charge-firing means at the inner end of said rod.

2. A blasting-gun comprising a rod that tapers gradually to less diameter from its inner end to a place intermediate its ends a and having an intermediate shank portion,

a sleeve freely slidable longitudinally on said shank, fingers extending from said sleeve and arranged to be pressed against the wall of a hole on movement in contact with said tapered portion, and charge-firing means at the inner end of said rod.

3. A blasting-gun comprising a rod that tapers gradually to less diameter from its inner end to a place intermediate .its ends and having an intermediate shank portion, a sleeve freely slidable longitudinally on said shank, fingers extending from said sleeve and arranged to be pressed against the Wall of a hole on movement in contact with and having an intermediate shank portion,

a sleeve freely slidable longitudinally on said shank an expansible tubular portion integrally formed with and extending from said sleeve and arranged to be pressed against the wall of a hole on movement in contact with ,said tapered portion, and charge-firing means at the inner end of said r0 5. A blasting-gun comprising a rod that tapers gradually to less diameter from its inner end to a place intermediate its ends and havin an intermediate shank portion, a sleeve fi'eely slidable longitudinally on said shank, fingers integrally formed with and extending from said sleeve and arranged to be pressed against the wall of a hole on movement in contact with said tapered portion, and charge-firing means at the inner end of said rod.

6. A blasting-gun comprising a rod having a tapered portion and a shank portion,

a sleeve slidable and rotatable on said shank portion, an expansible exteriorly screwthreaded member extending from one end of said sleeve and arranged to be pressed against the wall of a hole on movement in contact with said tapered portion, a clutch member on the other end of said sleeve, a clutch member having turning means rotatable on said rod and cooper-able with said sleeve clutch member, and charge-firing means at the inner end of said rod.

7 A blasting-gun comprising a rod that tapers to less diameter from its inner end to a place intermediate its ends and having an intermediate shank and a screw-threaded portion extending therefrom, a sleeve slidable and rotatable on said shank, an expansible exteriorly screw-threaded member extending from one end of said sleeve and arranged to be pressed against the wall of a hole on movement in contact with said tapered ortion, a clutch member on the other end of said sleeve, an interiorly threaded bushing on the threaded portion of said rod, a clutch member having turning means (:0- operable with said sleeve clutch member and axially movable on said bushing, means whereby relative movement of said bushing and clutch member thereon is limited. and charge-firing means at the inner end of said rod.

In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature.

' ERNEST HUTTON. 

